Understanding the Five Stages of Tooth Decay

Did you know there are five distinct stages of tooth decay? And, that in the first stage of decay, youcan actually take steps to reverse the progression of the disease? Indeed, it’s true. In the first stageof decay, whether you’re a child or an adult, the application of fluoride via fluoride treatments, yourtoothpaste and even the local water supply can stop a cavity from penetrating through the enameland reaching its second stage. Even the saliva in your mouth and the foods you eat help to re-mineralizea tooth in jeopardy. But that’s just the first stage! What about the rest? Understanding how acavity progresses can assist you in preventing each successive stage from occurring in yourchildren. There’s always a lot going on in that little mouth!

Stage One: White SpotsIn stage one, the tooth begins to show signs of strain from the attack of sugars and acids, andwhite spots will begin to materialize just below the surface of the enamel. These white spots arerepresentative of the demineralization of the tooth and can be easy to miss because they’re likelyto occur on your child’s molars. A dental exam, of course, is designed to catch such cavities! Canyou see why regular visits to the dentist are recommended? As mentioned previously, at thisstage, the cavity can be repaired without the need to excavate the tooth.

Stage Two: Enamel DecayStage two marks the beginning of the end for the surface enamel that is being attacked.Initially, the tooth erodes from the underside outward, so the outer enamel will still be intactfor the first half of this second stage. Once the cavity breaks through the surface of theenamel, there is no turning back, and your child will need to have the cavity corrected with afilling.

Stage Three: Dentin DecayIf a cavity in your child’s mouth were to progress beyond stage two without you knowing,you’d tend become aware of it when it started to hit stage three because it would probablystart to cause some pain. At this level, the cavity begins to eat away at the second level oftooth material that lies beneath the enamel: the dentin. A filling can still be used to stop theonslaught of bacteria assaulting the tooth in order to prevent the cavity from reaching thetooth’s most critical component: the pulp.

Stage Four: Involvement of The PulpOnce the cavity reaches the pulp, it’s going to hurt. A lot. So if you’ve unfortunately missed allthe signs to this point, a screaming child or moaning teenager will certainly let you know thereis a big problem. Stage four is serious, and a root canal is the only option of treatment at thisstage, save for a complete extraction.

Stage Five: Abscess FormationIn the fifth and final stage of a cavity, the infection has reached the tip of the root and exitedthe tip of the tooth’s structure. This in turn infects the surrounding tissues and possibly thebone structure. Swelling would be commonplace and pain severe. In children (as well asadults) an abscess can be fatal if not dealt with immediately. Root canal or extraction wouldbe the order of the day should decay reach this stage.As you can see, cavities don’t happen overnight. In the early stages, regular visits can stall andreverse the progression of these dastardly little devils, so it really does pay to visit the dentistat pre-selected intervals. You can keep your kids far from stage five their whole lives, and if alittle bit of prodding to get them to the dentist accomplishes that, you can rest easy despitethe griping.